Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
No Thumbnail Available
Issue Date
2023-09-29
Authors
Cowley, Lauren
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a debilitating condition, exhibiting complex trauma symptoms frequently observed in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Traditional treatment approaches have limitations in holistically addressing the multifaceted challenges of C-PTSD and IPV-related trauma. This narrative literature review aims to evaluate the existing evidence supporting the use of yoga as an adjunctive therapy in treating complex trauma and female IPV survivors. A comprehensive search was conducted across 11 electronic databases yielding randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials, qualitative studies, meta-analyses and statistical reviews, and case studies. Included studies examined the impact of yoga on psychological measures, including assessing PTSD and C-PTSD, as well as participant-reported growth and healing themes. The review reveals that trauma-based yoga interventions, particularly trauma-sensitive yoga (TSY), demonstrate promise in improving mental, emotional, and physiological outcomes, including growth beyond symptom reduction. The findings suggest the need for a larger quantity of higher quality empirical research to validate the long-term effectiveness of yoga as an adjunctive treatment for C-PTSD in IPV survivors across a variety of demographics. Implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.
Description
Keywords
intimate partner violence , complex trauma , complex posttraumatic stress disorder , trauma-sensitive yoga , yoga as an adjunctive therapy